By Amanda Estes

Staff Writer

As president of the Maine Council of the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation International (JDRF), Jim Morris wants to be a resource for
families affected by the disease. Diagnosed with type 1 (juvenile)
diabetes nearly 25 years ago, the Cape Elizabeth resident lends a
unique perspective to the organization.

“Most of the folks involved with JDRF are parents of kids with
diabetes,” he said. “I can speak very personally about some things, but
at the same time I’m not a parent of a diabetic. I always try and sort
of be the bridge between the kids and the parents just to try and share
how they’re feeling and share some tips on how to get through certain
situations.”

Morris knows first hand how overwhelming a diagnosis can be.

“When I see kids who are 8, 9, 10 years old and even younger being
diagnosed, that’s an awful lot to comprehend and especially just
knowing that this is not for a week or for a month, this is pretty much
for the rest of their life until a cure is developed.”

Morris said he was lucky to have a strong support system of family,
friends, doctors, teachers and coaches, but not all children are in
that position.

Through its Web site and outreach programs, Morris said the Maine
chapter of JDRF helps connect parents of newly diagnosed children with
parents who have more experience with the disease. He said parents
often have questions about how to handle sending their child off to
school or summer camp.  

JDRF’s major fundraiser, the Walk to Cure Diabetes, is another way for
families to connect. The three-and-a-half mile walk will be this
Sunday, Sept. 16 at Payson Park in Portland. The walk will start at 11
a.m, rain or shine, and will feature entertainment, food and kid’s
activities.  

Morris said the local walk continues to grow in participants and this
year’s fundraising goal is $250,000. Last year, JDRF provided more than
$122 million to type 1 research worldwide.

Diabetes is often associated with obesity; however, there are actually two major types of diabetes with two different causes.

According to the JDRF Web site, obesity is believed to be one of the
triggers of type 2 diabetes, however, scientists believe genetic and
environmental factors may be the cause of the type 1 diabetes that
affects children and young adults. Serious complications can arise from
both type 1 and type 2 diabetes including heart disease, kidney damage,
nerve damage and blindness.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system begins destroying
beta cells in the pancreas. When functioning normally, beta cells
produce insulin needed to move the glucose from food to cells in the
body that use it for energy. When the body fails to produce insulin,
the glucose stays in the blood, where it can cause organ damage.

People living with type 1 manage the disease with daily insulin
injections, insulin pumps and blood glucose monitors. In order to
regulate blood sugar levels, people with diabetes must also monitor
their food intake and exercise.

“I think everybody with diabetes has some degree of self awareness,”
Morris said. “They have to be very aware of the signals their bod[ies]
[are] sending them, how they feel– do they feel run down? Some people
feel a little shaky. You have to constantly be aware of the
relationship between what you eat and how active you’re going to be and
how much insulin you’ve taken.”

When a child or young adult is first diagnosed with type 1, Morris said
the symptoms could be extreme. When the body can’t obtain energy from
food, it begins to break down body fat and then muscle tissue.

As a sophomore in high school, Morris said he lost 20 pounds and
suffered from severe leg cramps. He was in the middle of basketball
season and his coach recommended he go to the doctor.

Morris was admitted to the hospital for insulin injections to stabilize his blood glucose levels.

“It was pretty clear to me the faster I learned about it and the faster
I learned how to manage it, the faster I got out of the hospital,” he
said. “While I was in the hospital I also quickly put together that
exercise is important in terms of bringing blood sugar down.”

Morris said it was a “long, scary winter,” coming to terms with what
his body was going through, but within two weeks of being admitted to
the hospital, he was back on the basketball team.

While his friends were supportive, Morris said there were times when it
was difficult to explain the disease to them, as some thought he would
be cured within a few weeks. He said, however, making jokes about it
with his friends was a way for him to maintain a positive attitude when
it seemed easier to be depressed.

When Morris went to Harvard University, he had to learn how to manage
his diabetes while faced with rigorous academic work and football.

“It’s really a point in time where you have to understand and think
about the long-term consequences of your actions,” he said. “For any
kid going from high school to college, you want to explore, you want to
experiment and you want to have fun, but especially somebody with
diabetes has to always have that extra measure of caution and
awareness.”

When young people think they are invincible, they are likely not
thinking their actions could put them at risk for blindness or kidney
disease 10 to 15 years down the road, he said.

Morris said he has been fortunate that he has been able to manage his
disease and maintain good health. On average, he checks his blood
glucose levels four times a day with a blood glucose monitor that
didn’t exist when he was growing up.

Scientists have made great strides in type 1 research, including human
trials for drugs and treatments, Morris said. An artificial pancreas
that administers insulin and checks glucose has been another
development, however, Morris said it is expensive technology as
insurance companies have yet to take over any of the costs.

While technology has allowed people to better manage their diabetes,
Morris said JDRF’s ultimate goal is to find a cure. Genetic research
looking at the cells that destroy the beta cells in the pancreas may be
the key to preventing the disease.

A father of three children, Morris is invested in finding a cure.

“Type 1 is definitely passed down from your parents or grandparents and
that’s one reason why obviously those of us associated with JDRF would
love to see a lot more stem cell research funded by the government,” he
said. “That’s such a great opportunity for research and for
breakthroughs.”

For more information about JDRF visit www.jdrf.org.